Banbury GP surgery branch to officially shut in the autumn

The head of primary care for the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) said the Bradley Arcade GP Surgery in the Bretch Hill area of Banbury is due to permanently close in October.

News of the surgery's possible closure broke last month, and several local councillors made objections to the closure.

Oxfordshire County Cllr Mark Cherry, who represents Banbury Ruscote, had hoped his objections to the proposal for the closure would result in the reversal of the decision.

He said: "It is with sad news that I learned from joint health and scrutiny committee officers that the CCG has ratified the closure of the Bradley Arcade surgery in Bretch Hill , Banbury. This is a blow to the local community in Ruscote noting the ward is second in ten of the most deprived wards in Oxfordshire.

“To say that I think as a ward councillor for Ruscote and this will be echoed by my fellow labour councillors we personally are really disappointed that the retrograde step to close Bradley Arcade surgery.

"This will be loss of general practitioner services in heart of Bretch Hill and the community."

Cllr Sean Woodcock added: "This is a terrible decision. Already people in Ruscote live on average seven years less than people in Deddington, less than seven miles away. Existing health inequalities like this will only be exacerbated with access to primary care made more difficult like this."

Bradley Arcade Surgery is in Prescott Avenue on the Bretch Hill estate.

The Bradley Arcade Surgery is a branch surgery for the Windrush Surgery, West Bar Street, Banbury.

Julie Dandridge, head of primary care at the OCCG, said: “Services at the Bradley Arcade branch surgery have been very limited since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic so the Windrush Surgery GP practice can focus patient care and staff resources at its main site at 21 West Bar, Banbury.

“After considering views of local stakeholders, including the practice’s Patient Participation Group, Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group has agreed to Windrush Surgery’s request that the Bradley Arcade branch surgery – which offered limited part-time opening hours - close fully by October.

“Pressure on GP practices running branch surgeries has increased in recent years, with fewer GPs to work in them and fewer resources to pay for them. Operating on two sites is particularly difficult with limited GP staffing. In addition, arrangements during the pandemic have shown that much care can be delivered without patients needing to visit the surgery.

“Over the last few months the practice - in line with GPs across Oxfordshire and in the rest of the country – has changed the way it works by using telephone triage and telephone, video and online appointments to ensure patient safety during the pandemic. This different way of working has confirmed that the practice can offer a wider range of services from one site.

“In the last few weeks the practice has asked for patients’ feedback on how the closure might affect them, via text, local newspaper adverts and through patient representatives. The very small number of responses received highlighted concerns about disability access at the main surgery.

“These concerns have been followed up and the surgery has reassured people that there are two disability parking bays directly in front of the Windrush premises and an automatic front door. If patients have any further concerns about access to services they can contact the practice directly to discuss possible options.

“Windrush Surgery will continue to work with patients to develop new approaches to making the best use of a wider range of clinical staff and thanks them for their continued support.”

Established in 2013, Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group is the organisation that plans, buys and oversees health services for more than 700,000 people living in Oxfordshire. All GP practices in Oxfordshire are members of the CCG.